Search The Register-Guard

archive

Local News

Masoli kicked off team

The quarterback is ticketed for marijuana possession on a traffic stop; another Duck quarterback was with him

By Jack Moran

The Register-Guard

Appeared in print: Thursday, June 10, 2010, page A1

University of Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s second chance with the Ducks ended Wednesday with his dismissal from the football program — two days after police stopped Masoli’s car and allegedly found marijuana in its glove box.

A Springfield police officer patrolling the Gateway area on Monday cited Masoli, 21, on charges of possessing less than 1 ounce of pot, driving with a suspended license and failure to stop at a driveway or sidewalk. All three charges are noncriminal violations that carry fines upon conviction.

But because Masoli is already on probation as a result of a previous criminal conviction, it’s possible that his Springfield marijuana case could result in additional punishment.

Masoli was placed on one year of probation in March after he pleaded guilty in Lane County Circuit Court to burglarizing the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house west of the UO campus.

Lane County District Attorney Alex Gardner and his chief deputy, Patty Perlow, did not return messages Wednesday seeking comment on whether prosecutors plan to charge Masoli with a probation violation if he’s convicted of the Springfield charges.

Ducks head football coach Chip Kelly suspended Masoli for the upcoming season after the burglary conviction — but left the door open for the quarterback’s possible return to the field in 2011.

Any chance of that scenario ended after Kelly learned of Masoli’s latest brush with the law and promptly kicked him off the team.

“I had a plan in place for him to follow, and if he didn’t follow it, he was gone,” Kelly said. “He didn’t follow it, so he’s gone.”

Masoli, a San Francisco native who now lives in Springfield, was driving a 1999 Cadillac Seville when he was pulled over at 9:17 p.m. Monday near the corner of Kruse Way and Hutton Street in Springfield’s Gateway area, Springfield police Sgt. Tom Borchers said.

Masoli’s only passenger at the time was Duck football player Darron Thomas, a contender for the starting quarterback job that Masoli held during the past two seasons.

The officer stopped the car after he saw Masoli fail to stop as he turned onto Kruse Way from a Chevron gas station, Borchers said.

The officer learned during the stop that Masoli’s California-issued driver’s license had been suspended. He also found “a small amount of marijuana” in the car’s glove box that he determined belonged to Masoli, Borchers said.

Borchers said Thomas, 20, does not face any charges stemming from the traffic stop. A police report gave no indication that Masoli or Thomas was intoxicated when the officer stopped the Cadillac, Borchers said.

The Cadillac does not belong to Masoli, although Borchers did not say to whom the vehicle is registered.

Masoli is scheduled to appear in Springfield Municipal Court on June 24, although that won’t happen if he opts to pay the fine in advance of the hearing rather than contest the charges, Borchers said.

According to court records, terms of Masoli’s bench probation include that he “violate no law” and report to the court in writing, within five days, “every citation or arrest on any new crime or major traffic offense.”

In the plea petition Masoli signed before admitting his involvement in the frat house burglary, he acknowledged knowing that a conviction in a new case “can result in additional sanctions” for a previous case if the new offense violates probation terms.

The latest allegations surfaced nearly three months after Masoli and former UO wide receiver Garrett Embry admitted responsibility for the Jan. 24 burglary at the fraternity at East 14th Avenue and Alder Street. Authorities said the pair stole two laptop computers and a projector worth more than $5,000 from the house.

Masoli and Embry both agreed to plead guilty to second-degree burglary in the case. Although that charge is typically a felony, prosecutors agreed to treat it as a misdemeanor for sentencing purposes.

In high school, Masoli served three months in Hillcrest Juvenile Hall in San Mateo, Calif., in 2005 for his role in a string of strong-armed robberies that involved him and several other members of Serra High School’s football team. According to media accounts, the group muscled people for money at a local mall and area bus stops.

The robbery conviction resulted in his expulsion from the high school, and prompted him to move to Hawaii to finish his prep career.

He later moved back to the Bay Area and led City College of San Francisco to a national championship in 2007. The following season, he joined the Ducks.

Masoli garnered several awards and honors after leading the Ducks to a Pac-10 title and the Rose Bowl last season as a junior.

For the year, he completed 177 of 305 passes for 2,147 yards and 15 touchdowns, in addition to running for 13 scores.